SIOUX CITY, Iowa – “It is my hope that we chose to make a difference with our lives, a difference in the lives of others and ultimately a difference in the world.” It is this sentiment that drove debut author Linda Florke to pen her new thriller “September Woods” (published by Trafford Publishing). In the northern woods of Wisconsin, three characters lives intersect with chilling and long-lasting consequences.

“September Woods,” Florke believes, will inspire readers to find the courage to stand up for their own convictions. It will impress upon readers the value of family, the virtue of compassion, and will give hope to many who have encountered controversy in their own lives.

Stella is the main character; the story tells her struggle from childhood to adulthood and how the most catastrophic event in her life shaped her future and gave her life purpose. Dr. Graham Becker helps heal Stella after her tragedy, and tries to make her whole again, but never expected his feelings to grow for her. Randall Daggett, who like so many misguided people is merely the product of his environment, wreaks havoc on everyone and everything in his path.

Florke knows her work will find a ready audience. She touches on and explores too many of the important themes of today, such as the ever-present crimes against women, the cruelty and abuse of animals and the never-ending hope that love that will conquer all.

About the Author

Linda Florke has been an avid reader for over 40 years and chose to finally write her first novel. Florke has been married for 34 years and has three grown children, and three grandchildren. Florke enjoyed writing in college, as well as, analyzing literature, both which inspired her to create this story.

Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, Inc. author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an “on-demand publishing service,” and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Trafford’s experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 1-888-232-4444 or visit trafford.com.

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]]>rick@rcreader.com (Author Solutions)Media & CommunicationsThu, 25 Apr 2013 13:51:47 +0000Social Media Marketing in Times of Tragedyhttp://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/social-media-marketing-in-times-of-tragedy/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/social-media-marketing-in-times-of-tragedy/If you’re using social media for marketing, what should you say following a tragedy like the deadly blasts at the Boston Marathon on April 15?

The horrific elementary school shootings in Newtown, Conn.?

The October storm that took lives and devastated communities across the Northeast?

Sometimes, nothing at all.

The age of digital marketing brings with it new challenges, including how to respond during a national tragedy. Remember, as recently as Sept. 11, 2001, we had no MySpace, much less Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Except for email, no vehicle for delivering instantaneous marketing messages existed. After 9/11, one of the most painful days in American memory, most of us had time to pause, reflect and put on hold print, radio and TV marketing campaigns that might be viewed as inappropriate or offensive.

In recent months, there has been lively debate on this topic in the marketing community, including how and when to tie – or not to tie -- a marketing message into the news of the day, a widely used strategy.

Gaffes can occur with the most innocent of intentions in any media content, marketing or not. Earlier in April, a new episode of the musical comedy “Glee” upset and angered parents in Newtown, Conn., because the plot featured a student bringing a gun to school, where it accidentally discharges.

"A lot of people were upset about it and that I feel horrible about,” Jane Lynch, one of the stars, told Access Hollywood Live days later. “If we added to anybody's pain, that's just certainly not what any of us wanted. … We're always rather topical and rather current."

Usually, however, simply applying your own sense of decency and good taste can help you avoid a blunder. Consider American Apparel’s notorious “Hurricane Sandy Sale – in case you’re bored during the storm,” advertised as tens of thousands of people endured freezing temperatures without power. Most of us wouldn’t have even considered such a ploy!

Here are a couple more suggestions for do’s and don’ts:

• If you use automated posts scheduled through a site such as HootSuite, turn them off immediately. If people don’t find them insensitive and uncaring or silly, they’ll likely conclude your messages come from a robot – not a real person – which is just as bad.

• Can you be helpful? Hours after the blasts in Boston, with cell phone service out in the city and family and friends desperately trying to connect with loved ones, Google.org launched “Person Finder: Boston Marathon Explosions.” There, individuals and organizations could share information about the status of marathon participants and spectators for those trying to find them.

If your community has suffered a tragic event, perhaps you have helpful information to share. Here in Florida, which is affected by hurricanes, people use social media to help evacuees and their pets find shelter, and to alert others to danger, such as downed power lines. Depending on your area of expertise, you may be able to provide more general information or commentary. For instance, an educator can share tips for answering children’s questions about the event. Philanthropists might comment on those selflessly step up to help.

• Of course, social media is also about reactions and, for many, that’s a sincere expression of sympathy for and unity with those affected.

If you want to post something and you’re unsure about what to say, take a look at what businesses and other brands are sharing, and how online users are reacting. You may decide to just say nothing for a day or two, or whatever time seems reasonable given the nature of the event.

Sometimes, saying nothing at all speaks volumes.

About Marsha Friedman

every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST. Follow her on Twitter: @marshafriedman.

]]>rick@rcreader.com (Ginny Grimsley)Media & CommunicationsTue, 23 Apr 2013 15:41:33 +0000In Book Publishing, Less Is The New Morehttp://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/in-book-publishing-less-is-the-new-more/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/in-book-publishing-less-is-the-new-more/The hottest book publishing trend today: less is the new more.

“The first time I saw a 73-page ‘book’ offered on Amazon, I was outraged,” says New York Times best selling author Michael Levin. “But I thought about how shredded the American attention span is. And I felt like Cortez staring at the Pacific.”

The trend in books today, Harry Potter notwithstanding, is toward books so short that in the past no self-respecting publisher—or author—would even have called them books. But today, shortened attention spans call for shorter books.

Levin blames smartphones and social media for what he calls “a worldwide adult epidemic of ADH…ooh, shiny!”

“Brain scientists tell us our brain chemistry has been transformed by short-burst communication such as texting, Tweeting, and Facebook posts,” Levin adds. “Long magazine articles have given way to 600-word blog posts. And doorstop-size books have been replaced by minibooks.”

This sudden change in attention spans changed the way Levin approaches ghostwriting. “Even five years ago, we aimed for 250-page books. Today we advise our business clients to do 50-page minibooks to meet impatient readers’ expectations for speedy delivery of information.”

Levin, who runs the ghostwriting firm BusinessGhost.com and was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, says that people are looking for leadership disguised as a book. “Today,” he asserts, “people don’t want you to prove your assertions. They just want to know that you have legitimate answers to their questions and that they can trust you. If you can’t get buy-in with 50 pages today, you won’t get it in 250.”

The trend toward shorter books caused Levin to offer what he calls the “Book-Of-The-Quarter Club,” which creates four 50-page hardcover minibooks a year for BusinessGhost’s clients. “This allows them to address four different major issues, or four different sets of prospects, and provides quarterly opportunities for marketing events,” Levin says.

Michael Levin, founder and CEO of BusinessGhost, Inc., has written more than 100 books, including eight national best-sellers; five that have been optioned for film or TV by Steven Soderbergh/Paramount, HBO, Disney, ABC, and others; and one that became “Model Behavior,” an ABC Sunday night Disney movie of the week. His new minibook, “The Financial Advisor's Dilemma,” teaches how to create trust and distinctiveness in the highly competitive marketplace.

Starting Monday, April 15, two new cultural and attraction passes will become available for checkout at the Rock Island Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branch Libraries. Patrons can now check out a free family pass for four to the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, or a pass for two adults and up to four children from Niabi Zoo, Coal Valley, in addition to the family passes for four already available for the Quad Cities Botanical Center, Rock Island. Passes check out for seven days, and must be picked up and returned in person at the issuing library branch. There is a $1 per day fee if passes are not returned on time.

Also on Monday, a new awareness service from Prairie State Legal Services starts at the Main Library, 401 19th Street. Trained volunteers from Prairie State Legal Services will be available from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays on the 2nd floor of the library to offer information and assistance with navigating public benefits for food, cash, medical assistance, disability and township assistance. Prairie State Legal Services volunteers cannot offer legal advice.

Special events and activities offered at the Rock Island Library during National Library Week include:

Monday, April 15:

6:30 pm, Vegetable Gardening: A Feast for the Eyes and Palate, Rock Island Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street. The free “liven up your landscape” program offers tips from Sandy Russell, of Tastes of the Rainbow, on how choosing organic or heirloom varieties can add color, nutrition and taste to a garden, from the flashes of gold of a Sunshine Cherry Tomato to the bright blue peppers of a Filius Blue pepper plant.

5:30 to 7:30 pm, Blues and Gospel film and discussion, Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street. The scholar-led discussion on Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Episode 1, Feel Like Going Home and Say Amen, Somebody, is the first of three Rock Island Library programs in the America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway series. America’s Music is a grant-funded series of film viewings, discussions and performance events at Rock Island, Moline, Bettendorf and Davenport Public Libraries, River Music Experience and Western Illinois University-Quad Cities. For more events in the series, visit www.americasmusicqc.com

Wednesday, April 17:

10:30 am, Special “How I Became a Pirate” storytimepresented by Circa 21, Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Captain Braid Beard (Janos Horvath), from the Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse’s new musical adventure, will stop by to help read stories, talk like a pirate and help with pirate crafts for ages birth to five. The musical is based on the popular children’s book of the same name, by Melinda Long.

4:00 pm: Lego Time, Rock Island Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Make something fun for display at the library with Lego-brand building blocks.

National Library Week highlights the importance of libraries, librarians, and library workers, and their commitment to the places where their patrons live, work and study. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.

All programs are free and open to the public. For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter. A monthly calendar of library events is available online and at Rock Island Library locations.

Van Barg has over a decade of marketing experience and has previously worked for Media Link, Inc., as well as Simon Properties Group, American Bank and Trust, NA, Lujack's Northpark Auto Plaza, and Living Lands & Waters.

"I am happy to be rejoining the Media Link team," said Van Barg. "Natalie Linville-Mass has built her advertising agency to the point where it is a key player in the advertising industry not only in the Quad Cities, but in the region and beyond. Her development of Media Link Software™ is bound to be a game-changer in the media buying industry nationwide."

"We are so excited to have Laura back on our team. She has incredible talent and tenacity and is truly a welcome addition to our team. We really need someone with her caliber to help us as we take this agency to a national level," said Natalie Linville-Mass, President of Media Link, Inc.

Media Link, Inc. is a full-service integrated marketing firm specializing in strategic media buying and placement. Media Link works with businesses in the Quad-Cities and around the country to develop and execute customized marketing strategies to help them more effectively reach their customers. Media Link, Inc. recently developed and launched its own media buying software system, Media Link Software™. This company is also one of the only marketing firms in the region to have obtained an 8(a) SDB certification, a designation of significance to clients who contract with the federal government.

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]]>rick@rcreader.com (Courtney Boothe)Media & CommunicationsWed, 10 Apr 2013 14:40:54 +0000WQPT has a New General Managerhttp://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/wqpt-has-a-new-general-manager/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/wqpt-has-a-new-general-manager/MOLINE, IL -- Mary Pruess, former president and general manager of WNIT in South Bend/Elkhart, IN, has been named the director of WQPT-Quad Cities Public Television at Western Illinois University, effective April 22, according to Joe Rives, vice president of the Quad Cities and planning at WIU.

She replaces Rick Best, who retired in June 2012. Jamie Lange, who has been serving as the station's interim general manager, will resume her work as WQPT's chief development officer.

Pruess served as the president and general manager of WNIT from 2002-2012. Previously, she was the chief content officer and general manager from 2001-2002 and as vice president (public television services) and station manager from 1993-2001 for WHRO in Norfolk; deputy director of TRAC Media (1991-1993); CEO of the Public Television Programmers' Association (1991-1993); a consultant (1988-present); program manager of KUHT-TV in Houston, TX (1988-1991); and served in numerous managerial positions at KAET-TV in Phoenix, AZ (1977-1988). Pruess has also held director and manager positions at KICR Radio at the University of Iowa.

"We welcome Mary to Western Illinois University. Her professional experience will serve WQPT and the University well. Mary's expertise in public broadcasting and community outreach will further enhance WQPT's outstanding level of service to the region," Rives said. "Rick Best, Jamie Lange and the rest of the staff have set a high bar for continued increases in local programming, community service and successful fundraising. It will be an exciting time as WQPT further enhances Western's contributions to the residents of western Illinois and eastern Iowa."

Pruess has taken graduate courses in public administration from Old Dominion University. She earned her bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Excelsior College (formerly Regents College of the University of the State of New York). She also holds certificates in executive fund development and non-profit management from the University of Notre Dame.

As Director of Sales for Eastern Iowa, Bitting is responsible for recruiting and developing sales teams and revenue strategies. He leverages Eastern Iowa’s programming resources throughout the region and company to create solutions for advertisers.

“Scott has a proven track record in radio, and we are grateful to have him on our team.” said Jeff Ashcraft, Vice President and Market Manager for Eastern Iowa, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment. “We are excited to utilize his talents and many years of radio sales experience across these three Eastern Iowa markets.”

Bitting comes back to Clear Channel Media and Entertainment after working in the Automotive and Television industry for the last several years. He successfully developed the sales staff into a cohesive team creating several new revenue generating projects while implementing strategies that resulted in gross sales growth.

About Clear Channel Media and Entertainment

With 243 million monthly listeners in the U.S., Clear Channel Media and Entertainment has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America. Clear Channel Media and Entertainment serves 150 cities through 850 owned radio stations. The company’s radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, Sirius/XM satellite, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company’s radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile application on iPads and smartphones, and used via navigation systems from TomTom, Garmin and others. The company’s operations include radio broadcasting, online and mobile services and products, live concerts and events, syndication, music research services and independent media representation. Clear Channel Media and Entertainment is a division of CC Media Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: CCMO), a leading global media and entertainment company. More information on the company can be found at clearchannel.com, clearchanneloutdoor.com and ccmediaholdings.com.

On the third quarter of 2012, author Gerald Kramer published “Vanderbilt Reef,” a mystery novel that commemorates the sunken SS Princess Sophia’s maiden voyage. Not one to rest on his laurels, only six months after his successful debut novel, Kramer comes back with yet another mystery fiction that demonstrates that anyone can be put in jeopardy in a supposedly safe environment. Set in 1993, on the campus of a small university in a small town in the Midwest, his newly published book is titled The Dean’s List.

“I started this novel more than twenty years ago, because I found the university environment to be underutilized in mystery novels,” states Kramer. “All campuses are filled with characters who would easily fit into the genre. The story should appeal to readers who like the major characters to be more complex than cardboard figures who are pawns in keeping the plot moving.”

Two campus murders in less than a week shake a small university to its core. The deaths of the Dean of Business and Technology and a student leader have life-changing consequences for Roger Holt, a middle-aged professor who is pressured by top administration into assuming the duties and responsibilities of his late supervisor and to serve as the Interim Dean. Reluctantly, Holt complies because of his loyalty to Great Plains University.

Chet Evans, a detective on the police force, needs Holt’s knowledge of the campus and higher education in general to help solve the cases. Unfortunately for Holt, Evans is not alone in realizing that Roger may be an integral part of the solutions. Amid all this intrigue is the promising romantic relationship between Roger and an unexpected partner. Events spiral out of control until Roger is about to become the third victim.

Fast-paced and crime-centered while providing a realistic view of campus life, The Dean’s List is a book that sheds light on the attempted dominance of campus operations by external forces. The events and atmosphere described in the novel are an accurate reflection of Kramer’s 30 years of experience and the perceptions of many other experienced faculty members.

“A university setting could be threatened by greed and corruption and even violent actions. Optimism is vital for individuals and organizations to survive,” adds Kramer.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author

Gerald Kramer is a retired college professor who also has worked as a human resource administrator, census-taker, clothing salesperson, and factory worker. He is an avid reader of mystery novels and lists Tony Hillerman, Ross MacDonald, and Michael McGarrity as favorite authors. Western and film noir movies from the 1930s and ‘40s are also popular with him. Vanderbilt Reef: Finding Daniel is his first novel and reflects his admiration of Alaska. He may be reached through his email address, gkramer72@cox.net, or through his Facebook page.

The Dean’s List * by Gerald Kramer

Publication Date: February 28, 2013

Trade Paperback; $15.99; 154 pages; 978-1-4836-0263-9

Trade Hardback; $22.99; 154 pages; 978-1-4836-0264-6

eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4836-0265-3

]]>rick@rcreader.com (Author House)Media & CommunicationsWed, 03 Apr 2013 15:53:58 +0000Books for All Children: Author Fills Much-Needed Demandhttp://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/books-for-all-children-author-fills-much-needed-demand/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/books-for-all-children-author-fills-much-needed-demand/Need is the mother of invention, which is why Jeff Rivera decided to create a line of children’s books that emphasis diversity.

“I’m the uncle of 12 nieces and nephews who live everywhere from Costa Rica to Australia to all over the United States, which is no longer the only melting pot in the world,” says Rivera, author of “Um…Mommy, I Flushed My Brother Down the Toilet” and “My Two Uncles & Me,” (www.jeffrivera.com), which have been endorsed by comic book icon Stan Lee and legendary best-selling novelist Jackie Collins. “There are just not enough books for little kids that represent families with diverse backgrounds, like mine, so I decided to create them.”

There are still segments of society that do not embrace differences of race, culture, religion and sexuality, which is why it’s all the more important for children of different backgrounds to feel included, he says.

Rivera reviews a few reasons why major publishers should consider children’s books for diverse families:

• Something probably makes you unusual, too: “Some of us had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia or emotional traumas. Some of us came from blended families, mixed-race families, or were adopted. Some of us had gay and lesbian family members, some of us were on food stamps and welfare growing up, or were homeless, like I was. There are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and atheists. Not everyone can be pegged into a nice square box, and our kids shouldn’t be,” says Rivera, a media personality featured in a variety of outlets.

• Together, ‘minorities’ become the majority: In the U.S., one out of five people has a learning difference; one in two children born are a minority ethnicity; and more than 14 million children have gay or lesbian parents. “When you add it all up, that’s easily the majority of people in our country,” he says. “It just does not make good business sense to ignore so many of us.”

• Overlooked entrepreneurs: American history is rife with examples of overlooked business opportunities. Just a few decades ago there was an emerging subculture created by inner-city youth. The most prominent feature? Hip hop, or rap music. For several years record company executives dismissed the budding genre, and all the while an under-the-radar entrepreneur named Russell Simmons helped present the new music to mainstream America and the rest of the world. As of April 2011, he had a $340 million net worth.

About Jeff Rivera

Jeff Rivera is a bestselling author, journalist and inspirational media personality whose work has been mentioned on TMZ, WABC, WNBC, WCBS, NPR and many other outlets. He is a full-time author whose humble beginnings living in poverty on welfare and food stamps as the child of a single mother, to his days living in his car and final success in media have inspired many.